Whats so special about the Stradivarius String instruments?
Nobody knows for sure. A few of the more prominent theories: –Stravivarius (and the contempory Amati and Guaneri instruments) used wood that grew during the “Maunder Minimum”, a very cold spell that caused the wood grain to be much tighter than in other periods–thus more resonant. –These Cremonese luthiers perfected the instrument; their mastery of manufacture made them what they are. –Their secret formula for varnish created a surface that was more resonant. –Violins (and all string instruments made of quality materials) get better with age–and Strads and their cousins are the oldest of their type (prior generations–Renaissance and Baroque era violins–were not standarized and had weaker tone due to construction standards). –Listeners might be a little prejudiced, since judging the tone of an instrument is not something one does with scientific instruments. Years ago, I read about a lab experiment that tried to determine which material was best for making flutes–they took flu
